No. 1 UConn at No. 3 Louisville to decide AAC regular-season title

Rich Elliott

Updated 9:18 am, Monday, March 3, 2014

Connecticut's Moriah Jefferson goes up for a basket as Louisville's Tia Gibbs, right, defends during the first half of an NCAA women's college basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014, in Storrs, Conn. Jefferson had a career high 18 points as Connecticut defeated Louisville 81-64.
Photo: Jessica Hill, AP

Connecticut's Moriah Jefferson goes up for a basket as Louisville's...

Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma gestures during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Louisville, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014, in Storrs, Conn. Connecticut won 81-64.
Photo: Jessica Hill, AP

Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma gestures during the second...

Louisville head coach Jeff Walz, right, yells at player Asia Taylor during the first half of an NCAA women's college basketball game against Connecticut, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014, in Storrs, Conn. Connecticut won 81-64.
Photo: Jessica Hill, AP

Louisville's Antonita Slaughter (4) and Asia Taylor (31) reach over Connecticut's Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis who shoots during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014, in Storrs, Conn. Mosqueda-Lewis hit the floor on the play, injuring her left elbow.
Photo: Jessica Hill, AP

Connecticut's Moriah Jefferson goes up for a basket as Louisville's Tia Gibbs, right, defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014, in Storrs, Conn. Jefferson had a career high 18 points as Connecticut defeated Louisvill 81-64.

Photo: Jessica Hill, AP

Connecticut's Moriah Jefferson goes up for a basket as Louisville's...

STORRS -- The days when the success of a season was at all gauged on whether the UConn women's basketball team claims the conference regular season championship are well in the past. When a team has won an NCAA record-tying eight national championships and made 14 Final Four appearances, what matters most is how it fares in late March and early April.

However, when that regular season championship becomes elusive the mindset of the top-ranked Huskies changes a bit. They do not like squandering opportunities to win championships of any kind, and they have not won an outright regular season championship since 2010-11.

A two-year drought is something that has happened only three times since UConn won its first Big East championship in 1988-89 (1991-92 and 1992-93; 2004-05 and 2005-06). The Huskies will be looking to seize the inaugural American Athletic Conference championship Monday night when they collide with No. 3 Louisville at the KFC Yum! Center (7; ESPN2).

"I remember coming here we won it my freshman year and the next couple years we didn't,'' UConn senior Bria Hartley said. "And I think it was just kind of weird because just seeing the UConn tradition and everything, they usually win it every single year. So I think these last couple years it's kind of been a disappointment. But this year we want to make sure we go out with a win.''

That last time that UConn (30-0, 17-0 AAC) won a regular season conference championship it went undefeated in conference play. The Huskies, who won 19 Big East regular season championships, will have to do it again if they want to win this championship.

Louisville (28-2, 17-1) can clinch a share of the title with a win tonight. A coin flip would then determine the No. 1 seed in the upcoming AAC tournament.

"They want a share of the title so they're going to have to beat us to get it, and we don't share very well here at Connecticut ,'' UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "We're not into having parades if you tie for the league championship. So if we want to win it outright, we have to beat a really, really good team on their home court in front of a sold-out building. And maybe that's the way it should be."

The Huskies have won 14 straight games against Louisville since losing the series opener March 17, 1993. They earned an 81-64 win at Gampel Pavilion Feb. 9. However, the Cardinals were without starting guard Bria Smith due to a knee injury.

The return of Smith, who has averaged 4.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 18.5 minutes over the last four games since returning to the lineup, will give the Cardinals one more weapon to combat UConn tonight.

``I don't think they liked losing the way they did, and they're going to have something to prove,'' UConn sophomore Breanna Stewart said. "We've gotten better as a team, and I'm sure they have, too. And it'll just test us once again, and I think we'll be ready for it. We're not the No. 1 team in the country for no reason.''

Similar to what Louisville endured in the first game between the teams, UConn All-American Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis played only 6:37 in the second half after injuring her left elbow in a fall with 18.7 seconds left in the first half. She then missed four straight games with mononucleosis before returning in Saturday's win over No. 24 Rutgers.

Mosqueda-Lewis played 27 minutes against the Scarlet Knights.

"It was good,'' Mosqueda-Lewis said. "I'm not tired. Nothing hurts. I was (surprised to play 27 minutes). I'm glad (Auriemma) had faith to keep me in there and that he trusted me. So it feels nice.''

UConn has defeated eight ranked opponents this season by an average of 22.8 points. It has defeated three Top 5 teams by 19.3.

The Huskies view this game as another test. If they pass it they will add another championship to their vast collection and complete the regular season undefeated for the seventh time in team history.

"I think we're excited,'' UConn senior Stefanie Dolson said. "It's going to be an amazing environment. There's going to be so many people. It's going to be their Senior Night. And the fact that it's for our first championship (this season), regular season, I think our team is ready for the challenge. Louisville 's going to come out swinging and it's going to be fun.''